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The United Kingdom's top law officer, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has demanded Nigel Farage to issue an apology to former schoolmates who assert he targeted with racist abuse them during their time at school.

Hermer stated that Farage had "clearly deeply hurt" many people, according to their accounts of his actions as a youth. He noted that the politician's "constantly changing" explanations had been unconvincing.

“Throughout his replies to valid inquiries, not once has Farage truly condemned antisemitism,” Hermer stated to a publication.

New Allegations Surface

A recent investigation last month detailed the testimony of more than a dozen one-time schoolmates of Farage from Dulwich College.

One, a former pupil, described that a teenage Farage "would sidle up to me and utter: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, at times making a long hiss to mimic the sound of the gas showers”.

Another pupil from an ethnic minority alleged that when he was about nine, he was singled out by a 17-year-old Farage.

“He came over to a pupil flanked by two tall mates and addressed anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the individual said. “That happened to me on three separate times; questioning me where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to any place you said you were from.”

Since then, more people have come forward; around two dozen people have now alleged they were either subject to or observed highly inappropriate past behaviour by Farage.

The alleged events they recounted span the period when Farage was aged 13 to 18.

Changing Stories

The political figure has denied that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has claimed the individuals were not telling the truth.

Observers have pointed out that Farage has not managed to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism more broadly in his denials.

They also cite his reluctance to sanction a party member, Sarah Pochin, after she expressed views about the number of people of colour she saw in television commercials. She later expressed regret for the remarks.

“Nigel Farage’s evolving narrative about his behaviour to his Jewish classmates [is] not credible, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

He continued: “Claiming that two dozen individuals have somehow misremembered the same things about his nasty behaviour simply lacks credibility."

Question of Character

“If he aspires to be seen as a credible figure for high office, he must acknowledge the concerns of the Jewish community, and say sorry to the those he has obviously deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer concluded.

“Bigotry in all its forms is anathema to the values of this country and we cannot allow it to ever become normalised in politics.”

In a separate interview, the Chancellor said Farage should “say something” if he wanted to be considered a real leader.

“It says a lot how little he has to say, and the very careful language that both you and I would identify as being crafted in a certain style to say something, but also not to say something,” she said.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In legal letters before the publication of the investigation, Farage’s representatives asserted that “the allegation that Mr Farage ever took part in, supported, or led racist or antisemitic behaviour is completely refuted”.

Farage later appeared to change his stance in an interview, remarking: “Did I say things 50 years ago that you could interpret as being banter, you could interpret in a contemporary context today in some sort of way? Yes.”

He said that he had “not ever purposely attempted to go and upset anybody”. Farage afterwards issued a fresh denial: “I can tell you categorically that I did not say the things that have been printed aged 13, nearly 50 years ago.”